Creating a cultural industry around balafons in Côte d’Ivoire

The project aims to promote the creation of a balafon cultural industry in Côte d’Ivoire through the strengthening of professional skills linked to this popular musical instrument. By offering training programmes on the design, fabrication, performance and commercialization of “traditional” xylophones and “modern” diatonic and chromatic balafons, the project maximizes the rich potential of this cultural industry and stimulates knowledge-sharing and communication among a wide range of stakeholders. While playing balafons is generally practiced by men, the project encourages the active involvement of women in the balafon cultural industry.

Stories

All over the world, culture is increasingly being recognized as a proven and powerful means of achieving sustainable development, in that it increases employment rates, contributes to poverty reduction and promotes more inclusive societies. And yet, inequality is still present as far as who participates in, contributes to and benefits from culture. Especially gender inequality. Several examples clearly illustrate this fact.